


Of Green No More (Happy Ending)

by mametsundere



Series: The Spirit of Green [3]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Fantasy, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-10-22 02:51:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10688289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mametsundere/pseuds/mametsundere
Summary: The happy ending to The Spirit of Green - The second one of the two possible endings.The bittersweet ending is Part 2.





	Of Green No More (Happy Ending)

**Author's Note:**

> DO NOT READ this part 3 of the series if you haven't read part 1. This is not a standalone part as it is a direct continuation and will contain spoilers for the first part. 
> 
> *drumroll* I now present to you the happy ending of The Spirit of Green! The one that will offer your wounded souls some much-needed comfort. It turned out longer than I thought but hopefully that's a good thing. . .
> 
> I'll see you at the end!

_"Alfred,"_ someone was calling to him. _"Alfred. . . Are you awake now?"_

Sleepily, Alfred opened his eyes to face the warm sunshine and striking blue sky. As the wind stirred around him, it brushed through the tall grass and tickled his ears and cheeks. Alfred sighed, letting his eyes droop closed again. 

_"Are you really falling back asleep again, Alfred?"_

Turning his head towards the voice, Alfred grinned upon seeing Arthur pouting at him. "Wasn't it your idea to take a nap here?"

Arthur looked away and his cheeks pouted out even more. _"W-Well, yes, it was my idea. But that was because you looked so tired from all the work you've been doing these past few days. You've been working so tirelessly that we haven't been able to meet either so I thought it'd be a good idea to let you rest."_

Alfred's grin widened. "But you don't want me to sleep too long or else we won't be able to have a lot of time to spend together?" 

Without blood running through his body, Arthur wasn't able to blush. But the way he stammered over his words so uncharacteristically made it easy for Alfred to imagine his cheeks darkening in colour as he guessed the undertone hidden beneath Arthur's complaints. 

_"T-That's not what I meant!"_ Arthur insisted, not sounding very convincing. _"I-I mean, of course I want to spend time with you but if you're tired, of course it's more important for me to have you rest when you can."_

"Oh?" Alfred mused with a playful lift to his tone. He made a show of settling back into a comfortable position and closing his eyes again. "In that case, I think I'll nap for a little longer. I'm still sort of sleepy." 

Arthur made a noise of complaint. _"Alfred!"_ He protested. Alfred burst out laughing. 

God, he was adorable. 

Sitting up, Alfred used a hand to ruffle Arthur's hair. "Sorry, sorry. I'm just playing with you."

The spirit looked none too appreciative of Alfred's jest but didn't brush away from the man's touch. Instead, he just muttered, _"I'm not a child,"_ under his breath. 

A wave of fondness radiated through Alfred's body as he took in all that was Arthur. With his urge to tease fulfilled, Alfred moved to gently cup Arthur's cheek in his hand. The spirit looked at him in surprise at the sudden tender gesture. 

"Sorry," Alfred apologized again, sincerely this time. "I've been neglecting you. We're not spending as much time together as we did before, huh?"

After a second hesitation, Arthur put a hand over Alfred's and leaned into the touch. _"I know you can't help it,"_ he replied softly. _"You think I'm not watching how hard you work everyday? I know I shouldn't, but I feel so helpless watching you labour, and I can't help but think if there was anything I could do to help you."_

Alfred shook his head with a smile. "I don't need anything more from you. Letting me build in the forest is already a huge help. I know it's still painful whenever we cut something down so I rather you just focus on just staying alive." 

Arthur laughed. _"But spirits can't die, remember? As long as this forest still stands, my soul will never fade."_

Alfred removed his hand from Arthur's cheek and took the hand that covered his into his lap. Holding the hand in his, he realized just how different it was. Not just the fact that it had a light green undertone, but how cold it felt to the touch. By just looking at Arthur, it wouldn't be hard to mistake him for a human if it weren't for the leaves growing from out of his skin. But if Alfred had depended on his touch alone, he never would've thought he was holding a person's hand. 

Alfred tightened his hold. "I'll make sure that doesn't happen. I promised to protect you after all."

Arthur had to admit, he was a little taken aback that Alfred remembered their promise and at the fact that he was very intent on keeping his word. The humans he had met up until then never professed such sincerity before. Ignoring the instinctual fear that creeped up, Arthur closed his eyes, a content smile relaxing into his expression.

_"I know,"_ he whispered. _"I trust you, Alfred."_

. . .

But when Alfred woke up and found himself lying in his bed at Matthew's house, he realized that he had dreamt of nothing but a happy memory. 

Arthur had faded two weeks ago. 

Arthur was gone.

And all that was left were the memories that ripped Alfred's insides to pieces at the mere thought of them. To dream of them was the worse kind of torture as they tricked his heart into believing they were real. . . Until he woke up, that is. 

If only he could never wake up. . .

Feeling his heart seize up at another onslaught of agony, Alfred rolled over to the side and buried his face into the covers, turning away from the windows that taunted him with green.

* * *

It took another week after that until Alfred was able to go back into the forest.

Up until then, Alfred had been avoiding it as much as possible. Even during work, he stayed outside the construction site as much as possible and opted to remain in the office until his shifts were over. It was so unlike him considering how he used to be so hands-on that everyone had eventually began to notice. So Alfred made his excuses:

_"Oh, it looks like I'm starting to develop an allergy of sorts to some plants in that area."_ Or _"I haven't been feeling well so I don't think I'll be able to hike up there today."_ Or even _"I'm not really feeling up to it today, sorry."_

Ever since Arthur's death, Alfred had been severely conflicted about his feelings towards the forest. Should he hate it for taking Arthur away from him? Or should he still treat it as if it was Arthur himself since there was also the possibility that they had returned to being the same soul? Alfred wasn't sure anymore. Either way, seeing the forest was all it took to wrench his heart from his chest so he stayed away as much as he could. 

But with that reluctance grew a longing which only grew stronger as more time passed. 

Aside from the fact that Alfred naturally had a love for nature, that forest was basically the embodiment of every happy memory that he and Arthur shared. And realizing that the longer he stayed away, the more it seemed like he was denying Arthur's existence, Alfred decided that it was time to stop holding on to this childish grudge.

So one evening, after three weeks of complete denial, Alfred left through the backdoor of the house to step foot into the forest again. The sun had already set so Alfred could barely see his surroundings. But he found that it was better this way. At least now, he wouldn't be surrounded by so much _green_. 

The colour instantly reminded him of the wondrous shade of Arthur's eyes.

Listening to the crickets, Alfred slowly walked through the forest, following the path as his mind wandering aimlessly in memories. The pain wasn't as bad as he thought because he had already discarded most of his hostility - if anything, he felt more nostalgia than pain. The memories that flashed through his head still made him smile, but the dull throb in his heart was there as well. 

Alfred reached the end of the road and came face to face with that looming tree, its branches arched downwards like an entranceway. Making his way onto its raised roots, Alfred sat down with a tired sigh. Leaning into the trunk, he pressed the side of his head into its rough skin, hoping the physical sting would drive away the crushing of his chest. 

"Arthur," he whispered. "Where did you go?"

He hadn't been expecting an answer, but someone heard him.

_They_ all heard him. 

_"Arthur,"_ the voices whispered, muddled on top of one another. _"Arthur?. . . Arthur. . ."_

Startled, Alfred straightened up and looked around. "Who's there? Who's saying that?"

_"Not Arthur,"_ they said, seemingly to each other. _"Not Arthur."_

_"Alfred."_ A hum of realization. _"It's Alfred."_

Recognizing the strange mix of wind and whispers to be the spirits Arthur had connected him to way back when, Alfred became excited. "Are you guys Arthur's friends? Are you the other spirits I talked to last time?" Several yes's were heard along with some unrecognizable words of their own language. Alfred laughed. "Wow, that's awesome! I didn't think I could talk to you again without Arthur here."

_"Yes, Arthur."_

_"You have some of Arthur's magic."_ One explained.

_"The connection from last time. . ."_

_"Yes. . ."_

_"Where is Arthur?"_

Alfred tensed and his mood instantly dropped. "Arthur. . . Arthur disappeared three weeks ago."

_"Disappeared?"_ A few muttered in confusion.

"Yeah, I don't know if you guys heard from him, but a while back his soul and the forest's split up. They became two different existences or something and it became impossible for Arthur to maintain his physical form without getting dragged back into the earth. So he came to live with me for a while," Alfred explained.

_"That's why his voice vanished."_

_"I thought. . . asleep. . ."_

_"When did it start?"_ Someone asked through the stir of discussion.

"Last summer," Alfred answered. "I thought it'd be okay for him to live with me until we figured something out. Or forever if things came to that - anything to stop him from getting absorbed back into the forest. None of us knew what would happen if he got taken back so we decided to live together in my house until we found out more information." Alfred lowered his head. "But apparently a few months after he started living with me, his body started to fall apart. His skin was cracking off his body and his strength was fading. And by the time I figured out something was wrong with him, there were a few times when he fell asleep and wouldn't wake up for days, even weeks!"

_"Disappeared. . . How-?"_

"I woke up one morning and he had completely turned to dirt." Alfred felt his throat tighten from remembering that grotesque scene and cleared it so his voice wouldn't crack. 

_"Magic fading,"_ someone guessed.

Another made a noise of disagreement. _"Too close to human. . . Split feelings from the forest caused-"_ The sentence got cut off by an increase of strange words. 

But Alfred wanted to hear the rest. "Caused what?" He asked urgently. "What did his feelings cause?"

_"The will of the forest rejected Arthur's feelings for you."_

_"So that's why I felt. . ."_

_"Arthur. . ."_

_"He loved you,"_ someone said to Alfred. _"But love is dangerous for spirits."_ Conflicted murmurs of agreements followed. Some were hesitant. Others were firm.

_"We cannot love humans,"_ another voice continued. 

_"But Arthur loved. . ."_

_"And look what happened to him,"_ a voice snapped at the other.

Those words pierced Alfred's heart. "So it really was my fault. The forest took him back to protect him from me. It was scared that I would use Arthur against it."

_"Humans are a threat."_ And no one rushed to deny it.

"Maybe as a race but not all of us threaten you guys! I never meant to hurt Arthur!" But then Alfred shrunk into himself, a pitiful sob mixed in with his laugh. "But who am I kidding? In the end, it was because of me Arthur died."

Another blur of foreign language as they discussed among themselves. Then Alfred heard something that jolted life back into his body. 

_"Arthur is not dead,"_ someone said.

"What?!" Alfred looked at the tree that seemed to be connecting him with everyone else. "What do you mean he's not dead?!"

_"We feel Arthur here."_

_"He's weak but his magic has not disappeared."_

_"No voice. . . We cannot hear him just like you."_

_"Very weak,"_ a voice agreed solemnly. 

"Does that mean Arthur's still alive?!" Alfred called out desperately. 

_"His body is still alive. His soul should still be alive."_

"His body. . . Do you mean the forest?" Alfred asked. "The forest is still okay so does that mean there's still a chance for Arthur to get back his consciousness?! There's a chance, right?!" There some debate amongst them before Alfred could hear anything distinct. 

_"Magic,"_ someone whispered. _"It will need magic."_

_"Where is Arthur's magic?"_

_"We can feel his magic,"_ someone explained to Alfred. _"Which means Arthur is still alive. . . But we need the magic to begin the rebirthing."_

"Okay!" Alfred eagerly agreed. His heart pounded in his chest at the possibility that he would be able to see Arthur again. "So where can we find it, his magic?" Alfred could hear the concerned undertones to their words as they spoke to each other. 

_"Missing?"_

_"We cannot locate it."_

More concerned debate and frantic whisperings. 

But through hearing the chaos, a thought appeared in Alfred's head as to where Arthur's missing magic may be. Suddenly, the words Arthur spoke to him the night before he faded were as clear as day.

. . .

_"I want you to remember that my soul is yours. And as long as you have it, you'll be able to hear me wherever I am and wherever you are."_

. . .

Alfred was certain this was the answer and he urgently called to get the other spirits' attention before their debate could get any more heated. "Hey guys, I think I know where Arthur's magic is! What if Arthur's magic is inside of me?"

. . .

_"I won't leave you."_

. . .

"The night Arthur disappeared, he told me that his soul belonged to me," Alfred explained. "I used to think he meant it figuratively, but if I'm able to talk to you guys right now without him being here, doesn't that mean I actually have it? Or that I have his magic at least, right?"

_"Is that-?"_

_"It is not impossible. . ."_

"Please!" Alfred cried out. "Tell me what I have to do in order to bring Arthur back!" The silence that answered him was extremely unnerving and Alfred continued his pleas desperately. "I know I wasn't able to fulfill my promise. I know I wasn't able to protect Arthur. But that's why I want a second chance! Arthur is-" Alfred choked on his words. "Arthur is important to me. . . I love him. . . But I realized how little I was able to tell him that when he was still here with me. And I want to see him again. . . I want to be able to live with him again. . . _Please._ "

_". . ."_ There was a soft haze of murmurs as they whispered among themselves. Alfred couldn't understand a single word but he couldn't help but suspect that they were talking about him, weighing the sincerity of his words and balancing them with his actions. Was he worthy, Alfred had to ask himself. After what happened, he wasn't too sure he wanted to know the answer. So he was surprised when the spirits finally spoke up again.

_"You've fulfilled your promise,"_ they said.

Alfred looked up. "What?"

_"Your promise was never broken. You protected Arthur."_

_"Arthur is not dead,"_ someone mentioned again, irritancy lining his tone as if pointing out the obvious.

_"Your promised to protect him. . . And the forest is still alive and thriving."_

_"You did nothing wrong."_

_"Your promise has been fulfilled."_

Alfred's eyes lit up. "So you mean-?"

_"Yes, we will tell you."_

_"Yes. . ."_

_"We will tell you how to bring Arthur back."_

* * *

Coming home from work the next day, Alfred felt his breast pocket to make sure the seed he was given was still there. He smiled in relief when he felt the small lump. 

"Did something good happen today?" Matthew walked up behind him and closed the front door. "You seem a lot happier than before."

"Do I?" Alfred asked, taking off his shoes. 

Matthew gave him a look. "Yeah, you seem completely different. Before I was worried that you were forcing yourself to act like a normal person."

Alfred made a face of disbelief as they walked into the living room area together and took off their suit jackets. "I-I wasn't forcing myself or anything. I _was_ acting normal."

"Oh please," Matthew scoffed. "Ghosts had more life than you did. Sure, you smiled like you were okay and still did your job, but some of us have worked with you long enough to know you were far from okay. Just watching you work was painful for me."

Alfred offered a helpless smile. "Did I really seem that bad?"

"Alfred, you didn't eat for a whole week after Arthur died. And I had to physically drag you out of your room for you to take a shower. I mean sure, you slept, but for _days_. You looked like your existence was fading away or something, it was terrible." Matthew sighed, walking up the stairs to his room with Alfred following behind. "I knew you were mourning so I didn't really say anything, but it was terrifying to see you like that." They stopped in front of Matthew's room and he went in to put his stuff away. Alfred nervously shifted around by the doorway, trying to find the right words to say.

He knew he owed his cousin a lot for taking care of him and the work he missed during those first two weeks, and he had thanked him multiple times. But no matter how many times he expressed his gratitude, Alfred couldn't erase the guilt he had for causing his cousin so much emotional stress. Not even just for doing his part of the work but for trying to basically keep him alive. If it weren't for Matthew pulling him around during those two weeks, Alfred's health probably would've been a whole lot worse now. 

"Sorry, Matt," Alfred apologized. "I really made you worry, I know."

Matthew shook his head. "I don't mean to sound like I'm fishing for your apologies but I just hope you understand that you won't do something like that again. No matter how much you're hurting I still want you to take care of yourself." He turned his eyes to Alfred, expression softening. "If not for me, then for Arthur. How do you think he'd feel if he saw you like that: skin and bones?"

"Yeah," Alfred whispered in guilt. "I know." But then his expression brightened. "Oh! But I have good news! I found out yesterday that there's a way to bring Arthur back."

Matthew blinked, taken aback by the sudden change. "Oh?. . . Did you? Is that why you've been acting so happy all morning?"

"Yeah! Here, let me go change and I'll meet you downstairs," Alfred said, disappearing from the doorway and down the hall to his room. 

But as Matthew continued to change, he frowned. "I hope he's not delusional now," he muttered to himself. "Did his heartbreak cause his mental stability to crack?" Either way, he went downstairs, only to see that Alfred had already changed and was sitting there waiting for him.

"What took you so long?" Alfred whined impatiently. "I managed to get here before you and I got changed after you."

Matthew rolled his eyes. "You probably just left your clothes sprawled everywhere on the bed, didn't you?" 

"N-No I didn't. . ."

"Sure you didn't." He sat down on the sofa beside his cousin. "So? What's this about finding a way to bring Arthur back?"

Alfred dug through his pant pocket to bring out something that looked like a small pebble. "Yesterday night, when I went out into the forest, I discovered that I was somehow able to talk to all the other forest spirits - you know, Arthur's friends? And when I told them what happened with Arthur, they told me that Arthur was still alive and that there was actually a way to bring him back! So they gave me this." He handed over the pebble for Matthew to take. Dark grey in colour and not much bigger than a nickel, it had quite the hefty weight considering its small size. 

Matthew turned it around in his hand. "So? What is this?"

"It's Arthur's heart. . . Well, kind of," said Alfred. "You see, the spirits told me that they know Arthur's still alive because they can still feel his magic somewhere, even if they couldn't figure out where it was. And then I figured out that _I_ had it. _Inside of me._ Which is why I was able to talk to them! I wasn't able to communicate with them before unless Arthur helped me, but if I was able to talk to them yesterday, that could only mean that Arthur's magic is inside of _me_."

Matthew nodded very slowly, trying to withhold voicing his doubts in order to keep hearing Alfred out. "So what does this thing have to do with it?" He asked, holding up the thing Alfred gave him. "You said this was Arthur's heart? I thought spirits didn't have hearts."

Alfred nodded in agreement. "The spirits told me that Arthur's really weak right now, and the reason that he's not able to talk with me or any of them is because he lost a lot of his magic. . . And because of that, his soul isn't really whole at the moment." Alfred leaned into the couch and let his eyes shift away as he recalled his memories. "The night Arthur died, he told me that his soul was mine. And I think he meant it literally. He must've somehow given part of his soul over to me, which is also probably why I have some of his magic in me." 

"So it's like Arthur's stuck in purgatory or something?"

"Basically," Alfred answered. "So in order for Arthur to gain back his consciousness, I need to give back the part of his soul he left in me. For me to do that, the spirits gave me that seed, and I'm supposed to keep it with me so it can absorb the magic I have. Eventually, once that part's done, I need to plant it back in the forest. That way, as it grows, so does the magic inside it and Arthur's soul will get stronger again." 

Matthew looked down at the small object in his hand. "A seed, huh? And how are you going to know when to plant it?" 

"Apparently, something about it is supposed to change once it has a good amount of magic absorbed. But even after I plant it, I'll still have to take care of it so it doesn't die prematurely." 

"Define _'take care of it'_ ," Matthew asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Like, give it whatever magic's left in my body that it hasn't absorbed yet." Alfred shrugged. "I don't really know, the spirits didn't really specify, but they just told me that I need to stay with it a little bit every day while it grows." He took back the seed from Matthew and cradled it in his hand. "So basically, this thing's going to become something like Arthur's heart."

"Or maybe it's Arthur," Matthew suggested, half-jokingly. 

"This little thing? No way," Alfred laughed.

"No, but I mean when it grows. What is it, a tree?"

"I think so."

"Then what if after it finishes growing, Arthur's going to come from it or something?"

Alfred blinked. "Oh. . . That actually seems like a good guess."

Matthew shrugged. "I don't know, I'm just guessing on a whim. Part of me is still having a hard time believing this is going to work," he confessed.

"What? Don't tell me you don't believe me," Alfred said, offended.

"Well it's not that I don't believe _you_. It's just that I'm hoping this isn't something you've hallucinated or something. What if Arthur's death really affected you and you're making this up just to cope?" 

Alfred glared at his cousin. "Oh c'mon, you think I'm hallucinating again? Really? That's what you told me when I told you about Arthur and when he told you about Kumajiro. And yet, look who was wrong. _Both_ times."

Matthew raised his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm just making sure. I believe you, I really do. Especially after meeting Arthur and seeing Kuma-. . . Kumi-. . ."

"Kumajiro."

"Right, Kumajiro. After meeting them, I've decided to trust your stories no matter how crazy they seem," Matthew finished. And seeing how Alfred was still giving him a wounded look, he continued. "You can't blame me, can you? In my defense, to any other person this would all sound like stuff you find in fantasy novels. What normal people believes in these things?" 

Alfred sighed and dropped his grudge. "Fine, fine, I'll let you off. At least you're somewhat believing in me now unlike last time. But hey, just because some people believe in these things doesn't make them any less normal," he pointed out. "I mean, I believe in it now. And so do you. Does that make us any less normal?"

"Yes," Matthew answered without hesitation, a dead-pan look on his face.

Alfred barked out a laugh. "Don't be like that, Mattie. You're completely normal. At least I think so."

"Thanks," the Canadian grumbled sarcastically. "That makes me feel a whole lot better hearing that from you."

"Well if anything's not normal, it's your obsession over maple syrup. I mean, c'mon, who has _that_ much locked away in the basement?" 

"It's for emergencies!" 

"Oh, you mean in case the two whole gallons you have stocked in the kitchen runs out? Matt, I think-"

"No. Don't think," he interrupted. "Leave my precious maple syrup out of this or else you're never having any ever again." 

"Tsk. So touchy."

* * *

Luckily for Alfred and his impatient behavior, it didn't take long until the seed changed. 

At first, he hadn't noticed when the first subtle changes began to appear. The cracks were little and thin, barely noticeable as they stretched across the small dark surface of the seed. And considering how Alfred had the seed in his breast or pant pocket most of the time and was too preoccupied with work to have any time to closely examine it, he never noticed them there.

But as the cracks grew in width, the green glow that came from inside also became increasingly obvious. So much so that before a week was up, Matthew noticed something was glowing in his cousin's breast pocket. 

"Uh. . . Al?"

Alfred didn't look up as he continued to cut the carrots on the kitchen island. "Yeah?"

"Why is your pocket glowing?" Matthew pointed at his own chest when Alfred looked at him in confusion. Glancing down, Alfred let out a yelp and hurriedly put down the knife he was holding to take out the seed. 

"Oh my God, it's the seed!" Alfred exclaimed. 

Matthew came over to see. "Whoa. . . That's definitely not a normal tree seed."

Not only was the seed emitting light through the cracks, but it was pulsating with an irregular timing as it flowed through the path of the cracks like veins circulating blood. It was then Alfred also noticed that it felt slightly warm to the touch as it rested in his palm. 

"Do you think we should plant it now?" Alfred asked. 

"The spirits said to plant it when the seed changes, right?" And when Alfred nodded, Matthew straightened himself up. "Then I guess we should go plant it now. It's changed, hasn't it?" He turned and walked towards the back door.

"Where are you going?" 

"To get a shovel from the shed," he answered. "Unless you want to dig with your bare hands, of course."

. . .

"So where do you want to plant it?" Matthew asked as they left through the back door. "We don't know how big it's going to get so maybe somewhere where there's lots of space?" 

"How about by the cliff looking out into the ocean?" Alfred suggested. 

The immediate answer piqued Matthew's interest and he turned to his cousin with a coy expression. "Why there of all places? Did something special happen there?"

Alfred caught on to that look his cousin was giving him and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "It's special but not for whatever reason you're thinking of." He fondly looked at the seed in his hand, admiring how beautiful it looked. Its vivid green glow reignited the hope that he'd thought he lost, the colour matching the eyes of the spirit he missed and hoped to revive. "That place was when Arthur first told me everything about himself. He took the risk to tell me who he was and all the horrible things he had to suffer through as a spirit. When I first met him, he seemed like a really irritating guy. Remember how he threatened me and the workers if we didn’t back down? Yeah, I thought he was an asshole at first," Alfred laughed. "But when he talked to me that morning up on that cliff, I think that was when I finally understood him. When he told me his side of the story and his reasons behind everything, I don't think I ever saw someone as terrified as he was that morning. That's why that place is special to me."

"I never knew you were such a sentimental person," Matthew said, chuckling at how serious his cousin was. "But then again, you were always the type to have a hard time throwing old things away just because you had a particular memory about them." 

"The way you said that makes me feel like you thought of me as a heartless jerk or something."

Matthew laughed. "Well my mom used to tell me about how you were known as a huge player in high school. Didn't you go through about five different girls back then? But then you'd dump them and move on without so much as a second thought."

Alfred pouted. "For your information, they were the ones who dumped me. I just never had the courage to turn any of them down so when they confessed, I agreed. I thought something would change after I start dating them but when I wasn't able to return their feelings, they dumped me."

Matthew exploded into laughter. "So that's what happened. Well, either way, you can't blame me for thinking you were quite the ruthless heartbreaker back then." Letting his laughter drift off, Matthew changed the shovel to the other hand as his smile melted into a more genuine one. "But I have to say, you being with Arthur has really changed you for the better."

Alfred looked at him curiously. "Really?"

"I'm not too sure how to explain it but. . . When Arthur was living with us, it was the first time I've ever seen you so _gentle_ before. You used to be really eccentric at times and hot-headed, but when Arthur was there, you calmed down a lot - in a good way. I guess in a word, you matured a lot when Arthur was there. And even before he came to live with us, because you wanted to stop hurting him and started thinking of a whole bunch of ways to change the project so you could compromise, I've never seen you so determined or dedicated to something."

It was a little embarrassing to hear this from Matthew, but it warmed Alfred's heart. "I just wanted to protect him, that's all."

"And because you cared about him, it made you think outside the box. I mean, all those alternatives we're taking in the plans so the houses could be more environmentally sustainable? Alfred, those were really amazing. Even I was impressed. And that doesn't happen often," Matthew joked, and Alfred elbowed him with a laugh. "But seriously, Arthur did a lot of good on you, Al. . . I really hope he'll be able to come back."

Alfred gave his cousin an appreciative smile and patted him on the back. "Thanks, Matt. I'm happy to hear you say that."

When they passed by the lake, Alfred couldn't help but pause for a while to look. It had only been three weeks, but it felt like forever since he came here. And to see the place he often came to with Arthur reopened a wound in his chest. He could still hear Arthur's laughter in his ears; the way he looked smiling back at him; and the way his eyes reflected the rays of the sun. 

"Al, you coming?" Matthew called from half-way up the hill, snapping Alfred out of his daze. 

"Yeah, I'll be right there!" Letting his eyes stray just a tad longer, Alfred quickened his pace to catch up with his cousin. 

Alfred accepted the pain he felt as the nostalgia dug deeper into his chest. Refusing to let the hurt consume him again, he gripped the seed in his hand just a little tighter, willing the pain to transform into fuel for his determination. Alfred full-heartedly believed this seed was bringing him that much closer to seeing Arthur again, and he was going to make sure he succeeded, no matter what. 

He thought it was his imagination, but he swore the seed grew even warmer. 

And it wasn't just from his body heat. 

It didn't take that much longer for them to reach the clearing on top of the cliff, find a spot, and dig a hole. Alfred actually felt a little reluctant to bury the seed seeing as he had it with him every minute of the day for almost a week now. But knowing that Arthur's revival depended on that little seed, Alfred let go of his mild attachment and let the seed disappear into the hole, covering it with the dirt they dug. 

"You sure we don't need to water it? Does it need anything else?" Matthew asked as they made their way back down the hill.

Alfred shook his head. "The spirits said all it needed was my company," he said, laughing a little at how silly it sounded to say it. 

"Well, I hope they're right. It would suck if this all didn't work out in the end."

"Hey, don't jinx it."

"But Al, are you sure this is going to work? How can you trust those spirits?" 

Alfred sighed. "Aw man, are you getting suspicious again?"

"It's not that," Matthew insisted. "I was just thinking back to what you said earlier, about how the seed just needs to take the magic you have. . . I don't know, something about it kind of rubs me the wrong way, so I was just wondering if the spirits actually know what they're doing. 'Cause I've never heard of a tree that doesn't need water."

"Well, I don't know, it's probably because it's not like any other tree," Alfred said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm giving it magic, remember?"

Matthew still felt uneasy. He wasn't sure why he felt like this, but something about it still nagged at him. "Yeah, I know that. . . but has this ever happened before? Like, has anyone else ever tried this and have it work? How are those spirits so certain that this is going to work?"

"I'll ask them again if that makes you feel better, but I'm not going to question it too much. If they told me the way to bring Arthur back then I doubt they would do it if it wasn't going to work. I mean, they want Arthur back as much as I do, after all." Alfred took the shovel off of Matthew's hand. "Here, I'll carry this on the way back. Let's hurry, I'm starving."

But as Matthew watched Alfred's back, his unease only grew. He didn't want to suspect the spirits of any malice, especially when they claimed to be Arthur's friends. But he couldn't help but wonder how much they wanted Arthur back. . . And what they were willing to do in order for it to happen.

_'Let's just hope Arthur's magic is all that seed is going to take,'_ Matthew thought, quickening his pace to catch up with his cousin.

* * *

With Alfred visiting the cliff every day after work, the seed sprouted into a small sapling within a number of days, and it only took another week or so until it stretched into a grand tree, reaching almost 70 feet in height and having branches that spread to almost 100 feet. 

But what really amazed him was how the green glow still shone from within the tree - the same glow that emitted from the seed before it was buried. Through every crack in the bark and stretching across every branch were trails of eerie green, pulsing on occasion. Even the skeleton of the leaves had the light circulating through their vines. 

The way the light seemed to move around the entire tree reminded Alfred of the way a human body circulated blood and of that time when Arthur had activated his magic. 

It wasn't long before Alfred began to call it Arthur. He would sit at the roots talking to him for hours on end about how his day was or the memories they shared. And to his surprise, the tree seemed to be responding to him. Its light would shine brighter whenever Alfred asked it a question, and it had originally been rhetorical at first, but he was ecstatic the day he found out. 

Distracted with the progress he was making, he failed to realize he was starting to suffer from side-effects. At first, it didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary: the slight fatigue and increased yawning; the mild soreness of his body. 

But then the effects grew stronger. 

Soon, Alfred began to sleep through his alarm and couldn't make it through the day without taking a long nap in the middle of the afternoon. Dark circles began to form under his eyes despite the amount of rest he was getting and the natural flush of his skin was beginning to turn ashy. 

Matthew immediately stopped his cousin before he left out the backdoor. "Alfred, I think you need to stop going to that tree."

"What? Why?" Alfred asked, startled.

"Look at you! I think that tree is starting to take away more than just Arthur's soul. I think it's starting to take _your_ soul as well." 

Alfred brushed it off with a scoff. "Oh please, as if that would happen."

"Are you sure?" Matthew demanded. "Because you literally look like the life is getting sucked out of you. If that tree's purpose is just to keep growing, then it's just going to keep taking. Do you even know when it's going to be enough for Arthur to get revived? Or are you going to keep going there until you're dead?" 

"That's not going to happen," Alfred laughed. But he couldn't hide the nervous tint to his tone. And under Matthew's pressuring gaze, he gave in. "I'll-. . . I'll see if I can ask the spirits about it."

"And how do you know they're going to tell you the truth?" Matthew challenged.

Annoyed with his constant badgering, Alfred threw up his hands. "Well, we don't know _what_ the truth is so we'll just have to believe them! Besides," he sighed. "No matter what they say, I'm not going to give up until Arthur's back. And if I have to die because of it then so be it."

"Alfred-!"

"Arthur died for me!" Alfred shouted, gritting his teeth at the memory. "He died _because_ of me. How can I back out when I know what he did for me?" 

And Matthew couldn't answer. He hated it but he knew he would never be able to come up with an answer that'd be good enough. Because Alfred was right. Arthur died because they loved each other. There was no other equal price Alfred could pay for the chance to bring Arthur back other than to gamble his own life. 

So the Canadian made an irritated growl and walked away. "Fine. Fine! I won't stop you," he huffed. "But you better not die because if you do, and Arthur's alive again, he's _not_ going to be happy about it. If anything, He wouldn't hesitate to die again for you if he knew you were dead. If both of you die, then everything you guys did up until now would've been for nothing."

Alfred rolled his eyes but felt his anger dissipate. "Have a little more faith in me, would'ya? It'll take more than a tree to kill me."

"You mean like your love for Arthur?"

Alfred froze. ". . . No comment," he answered while slipping out the back door.

* * *

The tree stopped growing after another month, seemingly reaching its prime. Without instructions on what came next, Alfred expected Arthur to somehow reappear. But when nothing out of the ordinary happened for the next few weeks, Alfred grew impatient. Luckily, the side-effects seemed to be wearing off. But that only made Alfred worry all the more.

Sitting at the base of the tree, nestled between its roots, Alfred leaned his head back against the trunk with a heavy sigh. "Arthur. . . Why aren't you coming out?" He murmured to himself and the tree, unsure if it was listening. Then he thought back to what the spirits told him. ". . . Do I really have to sacrifice myself for you to come back? Uh, not that I mind or anything but-. . ." He sighed again. "It'd just be nice for me to see you again. It'd suck if I die before that happens."

The spirits had confirmed Matthew's suspicions from a month ago: it's likely the tree was beginning to take from Alfred's life force. The reason, they assumed, was probably because the magic Arthur had left in him was not enough to completely bring Arthur back, especially since the spirit had only left a portion of his soul in him. Unfortunately, even they couldn't say when it'd be enough until Arthur was revived.

"You know," Alfred continued, closing his eyes to enjoy the sounds around him. "I had this dream about you last night. But it was different than the other ones I usually have. Instead of a memory, I dreamed that I was an old man sitting in a wheelchair. I can't remember how I got there, but I knew I was there to wait for you." In his mind, the vivid image of Arthur emerging from the forest came to life. "And when you came out I swear I felt my heart stop. In my dream, it felt like I hadn't seen you for a really long time. But there you were, looking completely the same whereas I was all wrinkly and weak."

Alfred laughed, shaking his head. "But it was amazing. The moment you touched my hand it was like lightning ran through my body. And suddenly, I was young again. I was holding your hand and-. . . And I think you said something to me. I can't remember what it was but the dream ended with us walking into the forest together. . . And then I woke up. . . 

"So then it got me thinking," Alfred continued. "When you're revived and get back all your magic and everything. . . You're still going to be a spirit, right? Probably. It's kind of sad to think that you'll eventually have to watch me grow old one day, and I don't think I would ever want to leave you behind. . . But that compared to now. . ." Alfred fiddled with the grass by his feet. "I don't know, this might sound bad since you're the one with eternal life, but I would rather grow old and spend time with you than grow old never seeing you again. I mean, I can't hear your voice right now like I thought I would so I technically don't know if you're alive or not, so I'd rather have you here with me rather than anything else. . . So I hope I can meet you soon, Arthur. . . I miss you. . ."

With his back towards the tree, he didn't notice how the light shone a few seconds brighter in response. Feeling his eyes grow heavy, Alfred tried sitting up straighter to wake himself up. _'Ah, no, I can't fall asleep here. Matt said there'd be a storm coming in soon-. . .'_

But with a few more helpless nods of the head, Alfred's eyes closed shut and he fell asleep, unaware of how close the storm clouds were from out over the sea, slowly making their way towards him.

. . . 

A drop of rain on Alfred's nose startled him awake. And when he opened his eyes, he was startled to find that the entire sky had darkened. 

"Fuck, I fell asleep," he cursed, hurriedly standing up. Looking at the tree he gently put a hand on its trunk. "I'll see you tomorrow, Arthur." 

Barely taking even five steps away from the tree a deafening roar of thunder shook the ground under Alfred's feet. Accidentally letting out a shout from surprise, Alfred tried to hurry his way down the hill, not liking how close it sounded. It was fairly dangerous to be in the forest during a thunderstorm, and Alfred knew that. The giant canopy and looming trees should be enough to protect him from any possible lightening strikes, but just in case, he stayed a good few feet away from any of their trunks. 

But little did he know, the storm was already over his head. 

What had been one drop before suddenly became a downpour. Heavy raindrops coming down with a force that rivaled waterfalls instantly soaked through Alfred's clothes and weighed him down. Barely able to see in front of him, his steps faltered and slowed, often getting caught in the mud as the water washed downhill with him. 

_'Shit!'_ Alfred narrowly avoided losing his footing. 

A sudden crack of lightning shot out from behind him and his head instantly snapped towards the sound. 

It wasn't the lightning that terrified him; it was the resonating sound of wood splitting.

A wave of dread washed over him, colder and harsher than the rain. Alfred clamored his way back up the hill as quickly as he could, the mud grasping onto his feet slowing him down. 

_'Arthur!'_ His mind flew into a panic. _'Arthur!'_ Finally reaching the clearing, he came face to face with his worst fear:

The tree had been struck. 

Still scorching from the unimaginable heat, the entire tree had been completely ripped open, its trunk peeling apart from the center. And Alfred watched in horror as the beautiful green glow it used to have slowly begin to dim. 

"Arthur!" He cried, voice lost to the wind and raging sea below. But before he could run towards it, another threatening rumble echoed through the clouds, warning Alfred of its next strike. Barely able to keep his thoughts together after witnessing the tragedy, Alfred's adrenaline kicked in, forcing him to move his feet and retreat in order to find shelter. 

Leaving the tree behind, Alfred had no choice but to run. 

But the sky had other plans. 

All Alfred saw was a split second of white light before he was thrown off his feet. Lightening had struck another tree less than a foot away from him and had torn through the centuries-old tree like paper. 

It only took a second for Alfred to realize it was starting to fall. 

Half-running and half-crawling, Alfred raced down the hill without looking back to see where the tree was falling. And that's where he made his mistake:

He was running straight into its path. 

Almost at the base of the hill, the mud gave in under Alfred's foot. 

He slipped. 

His head bashed into the dirt and grazed a stone as he fell.

His vision darkened.

He heard the crackling of wood as the tree trunk snapped in half, and he didn't even feel it fall on top of him before he fell unconscious.

* * *

Before Alfred opened his eyes again, all he could hear was the quiet, mechanical beeping of a heart monitor. 

Forcing his eyes to listen to him, they eventually opened, squinting hard at the ceiling lights. But _fuck_ his whole body ached. Like this, Alfred didn't even want his body to listen to him. Opting for just his head, he managed to turn it to the sides in search of answers. He immediately felt relief flush through his system when he saw Matthew sitting on the chair by his bedside. 

Alfred opened his mouth to speak and manage to pry a shaky call of his cousin's name. "Matthew. . ." The Canadian instantly met his eyes and rushed to stand.

"Alfred! Oh, thank God, you're awake," he sighed. "How you feeling?"

"Like I have the worst hangover in human history," Alfred croaked, earning himself a laugh from his cousin. "Are we at the hospital?"

Matthew nodded. "You got caught out in the storm. What the hell were you thinking?! Didn't I tell you to come back before it hit?!"

Alfred shifted away from his cousin's rage. "I'm sorry! I fell asleep and by the time I woke up, the storm had already gotten there."

Sighing, Matthew shook his head. "Of course you fell asleep. Crap, I should've gone with you. I just hate myself for not going out to find you sooner. I was so engrossed with work I didn't even notice the storm hit until it started down-pouring."

Alfred shook his head, wincing when it hurt. "It's not your fault," he reassured while he used a hand to feel around his head, surprising himself when he found a bandage around it. "Was this from the fall?" He asked.

Matthew nodded. "It's good that you remember. You have a minor concussion and a gash on the side of your head from scraping a rock, so they've bandaged it up."

"But didn't I get crushed by a tree? I remember one of them falling before I knocked out. Or maybe it was far away from me?"

Matthew's expression grew painful when he recalled the details. "When I found you, that tree that you're talking about was less than a foot away from your head. Any closer and your head would've been crushed."

A shiver ran through Alfred as he imagined it in his head. He had narrowly escaped death, otherwise his head would've been turned to pulp if the tree successfully landed on him. But just then, he remembered the other tree that he had been worried about and he quickly turned to his cousin for answers. "Did you see Arthur's tree? How's the tree?! What happened to his tree?!" He was instantly gutted when Matthew's face didn't light up. In fact, it only grew more solemn.

"It's been completely ripped apart," he answered softly. "Even the light is gone." 

". . . Oh. . . " Alfred blinked and turned to stare at his lap. "So. . . It's dead?"

Matthew's voice was barely audible. ". . . Yeah. . ."

Alfred nodded very slowly. ". . . Oh. . . Okay. . ." It took a long while but when the realization finally hit, Alfred's chest seized up and his hands gripped the blanket into his fists. 

Seeing his cousin's internal torment, Matthew hurried to offer his ray of hope. "I don't know if this'll make you feel any better but I think you should know that. . . When I found you - and I don't know if this actually means anything - a vine was wrapped around your ankle."

Alfred turned to him, confused, and Matthew could see the watery texture of his eyes. "Was that. . . the thing I tripped on or something?" He asked, not quite getting where Matthew was going with this.

Matthew shook his head. "No, it was _wrapped_ around your ankle. Pretty tightly actually. I had to use a knife to cut through it before I could free you." He stared into Alfred's eyes, trying to burn his meaning into those brilliant blues. "And there were _drag marks_ , Al. Drag marks leading away from the tree to where you were. They were short, but they were definitely there."

Alfred froze, his brain in chaos as a million thoughts and questions burned through his brain.

Matthew searched his cousin's wide eyes, seeing the realization click in. "Do you get what I'm saying?"

Alfred swallowed. "Are you saying. . . Arthur saved me?"

Sighing, Matthew leaned back into his chair as if the mere action of getting his cousin to understand him was exhausting. "Realistically speaking, it's unlikely that a vine would magically get tied around your ankle. But after everything I've seen up until now, I'm willing to bet that _someone_ had something to do with it. If not Arthur, who else? No one else can control that forest except him, right? Now I don't know if this means he was able to be successfully revived or not, but. . . I just thought you'd want to know."

This time, Alfred's chest clenched for a different reason as he desperately clung onto that hope Matthew gave him. "Yeah. . . Thanks, Matt."

Did that mean Arthur was alive? Or did he only regain back a bit of his magic which is why he was able to help him? Either way, that only meant Alfred had to see for himself and that meant getting out of the hospital as soon as he could.

Alfred turned to his cousin, a fire in his eyes. "When's the soonest I can get discharged?"

* * *

In all honesty, it was quite disheartening to see the tree now that the storm was over. It's always one thing to see destruction while a storm rages but once it's over, a shattered tree basking in the sun made Alfred's heart hurt in all sorts of ways. 

Its charred pieces and split-open core; its lifeless leaves and torn up branches. Alfred picked up a branch that had flown off from the impact near his feet and held it gently in his hand. Alfred sat down with a disheartened sigh, turning the branch in his hand. What once had so much light was now dark, nothing but an empty shell remained. 

"Arthur," Alfred whispered. "I'm sorry. . . It looks like I failed. I can't even ask the other spirits for help now because I've given back the magic that I had. Matt says not to blame myself for what happened since I can't exactly stop lightning from hitting you, but I can't help but feel guilty." 

He lifted his head up to the sky and sniffed before turning his gaze back towards the tree. "But you were the one that saved me, right? There's no one else who could've done that. . ." He had to stop himself again in order to collect his fraying nerves. "It looks I owe you yet again. You gotta stop being so nice to me or else I'm going to run out of idea on how to repay you." He let out a watery laugh. "But. . . I keep owing you, Arthur. And it looks like I'm _still_ not able to do anything for you. Guess I'm as useless as ever." 

It hurt. 

The reality hurt. 

"I was so close," Alfred choked out, unable to stop a sob from shuddering his chest and breaking his breathing. He pressed a hand over his eyes to stop his eyes from watering. "I'm sorry, Arthur, I failed you again."

But then, from somewhere in front of him, came a small laugh. And then came a familiar, accented voice that sent warmth throughout Alfred's body ever since they first met.

"You always did cry easily," the voice said softly, a smile evident in their tone. "Even when you were a child."

Alfred's head snapped up. . .

And once again, the forest met the sky and Alfred found himself drowning once again in those vivid green eyes. 

"Arthur," he breathed. ". . . Arthur!" Seconds later, he flew into the man's arms, crushing him into his embrace. "Arthur!" Alfred wept. "Arthur, it's you!"

Arthur's own voice sounded shaky as he answered, overcome with emotion. "Yes, I'm back," he cried. Gently pushing away, he took Alfred's face into his hands. Two pairs of tearful eyes desperately searched over each other, unbelieving that what was happening was real. "I heard you, Alfred. Every single day you were here, I _heard_ you. All the stories you told me, all the thoughts you shared - Alfred, I never left you," he sobbed through his tears. 

"Oh, Arthur, I'm so happy to see you again," Alfred blubbered. "But what happened?! I thought you were dead! The tree-. . ." Alfred froze and he quickly grabbed Arthur's hand off his face and into his own grasp. "Wait. . . You're warm." His eyes snapped to Arthur who was smiling at him. "Arthur, you're _warm_! Why-. . . Why are your hands warm?! No, not just your hands. Your body. Your face. You-!"

Arthur grinned through his tears, shiny on his cheeks now flushed with pink. "I'm _human_ ," he breathed. "Alfred, I'm human now!"

"What?! But how?!"

Arthur shook his head. "I don't know but after that lightning struck, I felt a surge of power and then I blacked out. When I woke up, I found myself like this." He lifted his hand to show Alfred his palm, a childish excitement on his face. "Look, I even bleed!"

And indeed, a small cut where Arthur had purposefully scratched himself leaked droplets of blood. Alfred felt more tears pool from his eyes as he took the wounded hand back into his own. "You're an idiot," he laughed. "Cutting yourself just to see if you're human or not." 

"But one other thing made me absolutely certain," Arthur said. "And it's this." He took Alfred's hand and guided it to his bare chest. "You gave me this."

Under the warm skin, Alfred felt something thumping underneath his palm. 

_A heart._

A sob ripped from Alfred's throat the moment he felt it and he hugged Arthur once again. Arthur had a heart. And it was beating so strongly and steadily that Alfred knew it had to be real. 

"But how?" He asked with his face buried in Arthur's hair. "How is this possible?"

"Remember how you supposed to just give me my soul and magic back? But your life started getting absorbed as well?"

Alfred nodded.

"I think. . . Maybe that had something to do with it. Somehow, your soul got pulled into it as well which eventually formed a kind of mixture between my soul and yours. And because your human, maybe that's why this new body of mine. . . is human." Arthur gave a helpless smile. "But that's just a guess. Nothing like this has ever happened before so I don't have a clue."

"Who cares anymore," Alfred laughed, wrapping his arms around Arthur even tighter. "You're back and that's all that matters."

Neither of them knew, but Arthur wasn't far from the truth. While giving Arthur back his soul, Alfred had been giving away his own in order to make up for whatever pieces had been forever lost. The strength of his feelings and his determination fueled the magic that lingered and nurtured the tree into maturity. 

But at the same time, Arthur's soul never really returned to him. Not fully, at least. Half had still remained with Alfred, and half had returned. But even so, now that Alfred had given up half of his own, no one had been left incomplete. In fact, with two halves making up each other's souls, there was no one else on earth who was more complete than Alfred and Arthur were. 

"Oh, I forgot to say something," Alfred said as they walked home, hand in hand.

Arthur gave him a curious look. "What is it?" 

Alfred grinned. "Welcome back."

And Arthur laughed, tightening his hold on Alfred's hand.

_"I'm home."_

* * *

. . .

_And so the forest met the sky. . ._

_And the world has never been more complete._

**Author's Note:**

> AND WE'RE DONE!!!
> 
> Ahhh where do I even begin in thanking every single one of you for joining me on this journey? I was definitely not expecting this much wonderful feedback from you guys and my heart has never felt more full. 
> 
> I'm so sad to finish this story. . . I've gotten so attached to the plot and the characters that it'll be difficult to move on to other ideas. 
> 
> But I hope you guys enjoyed this story as much as I have, no matter which ending you picked or if you read both. 
> 
> **If you read both** please let me know what you think of the two/which one you liked better/how did you feel after reading them/etc. 
> 
> **And if you found any grammar errors** also let me know. I'm writing this two hours before I need to leave for a flight so I was determined to get this done by the time I leave or else this wouldn't have been posted for another three weeks!
> 
> But again, THANK YOU EVERYONE IT'S BEEN AN HONOUR. If you liked my writing, feel free to let me know if you have any ideas or prompts for future stories!
> 
> Bye for now~


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